Issue: Caleb Williams in big games
Diagnosis: PATIENCE
If there is one stigma that followed Caleb Williams from Oklahoma to Southern Cal is his performances in big games. Last season, Williams hit a wall against Baylor, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State, combining to pass for 481 yards, completing 49.3% passing, with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Oklahoma lost two of three.
This season, Williams has progressed a little bit but still is struggling. Against Oregon State where the Trojans survived 17-14, Williams completed 44% of his passes and only 180 yards yards and a touchdown. Last weekend, Washington State visited The Coliseum and Williams completed 51.7% of his passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
While head coach Lincoln Riley said it was a character win, winning in other ways, if the Trojans want to fulfill championship aspirations and clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff, Williams has to deliver in big games. He has another chance this week when the Trojans visit No. 20 Utah Utes who are ranked in the Top 20 in passing yards allowed.
Issue: Brent Venables as head coach
Diagnosis: PATIENCE
I mentioned last week in the Maintenance Report that Sooner fans need to be patient with Venables and the defense because of Venables track record the past decade at Clemson. Losing the Red River Rivalry in the style Oklahoma did not help Venables cause.
It was the worst loss Oklahoma has ever suffered not only to Texas in the rivalry but also worst loss to an unranked team. Sooner fans are beginning to invoke the John Blake tag to Venables and to me that isn’t fair.
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One of the things that helped Lincoln Riley when he was in Norman, the elite quarterback play he benefitted from masqueraded a lot of defensive deficiencies.
During Riley’s tenure, he had two Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks that had the Sooners scoring offense in the Top 10 in each of his five seasons, defensively during Riley’s time only once did they ever finish above the Top 50 in scoring defense.
Venables knows he doesn’t have an elite quarterback, this isn’t meant to knock Dillon Gabriel but he isn’t in the same league as Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, or Caleb Williams, he isn’t going to be scoring 40+ points a games.
His defense entered the Texas game, third to last as the worst tackling team in the country converting on 77.3% and is 108th in total yards allowed at 423 yards per game. Venables is going to implement his system, whether he has the personnel or not, and gauge what he has and what he needs. This is where patience needs to be demonstrated.
Issue: Iowa Offense
Diagnosis: PANIC
I mentioned in the initial Maintenance Report that the Iowa offense needed fixed and after a 9-6 disaster against the surprising Illinois team, the Hawkeyes need to hit the panic button. For a team that competed for a Big Ten championship a season ago, the defense hasn’t missed a beat – they are ninth in total defense, fifth in pass defense, and third in scoring defense allowing 9.8 points per game.
That is a championship defense and “Ferentz & Son” are blowing this with one of the more pathetic offenses you will ever see. They are 127th in rushing offense, 120th in passing offense, 131st in total offense and averaging 14.7 points per game on offense which is 127th in the nation.
There is no more being patient or fixing, this is full blown panic time!
Issue: Kentucky Without Levis
Diagnosis: FIX
An offensive falloff was to be expected without Will Levis, who was out with an injured foot he suffered against Ole Miss, but the response without Levis doomed the Wildcats.Kentucky quickly dug a hole with a first-play fumble and special teams failures. Other than Kaiya Sheron (who replaced Levis), the offense stalled at inopportune times.
The defensive breakdowns that allowed Spencer Rattler to pick them apart scored the Gamecocks the upset. With Mississippi State up next and record setting quarterback Will Rogers who just set the completions record in the SEC it may doom a season that had so much promise.
https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1578794697015062529
Issue: Virginia Offense
Diagnosis: FIX
Entering the season, hopes were high in Charlottesville with new head Tony Elliott coming from Clemson where he was part of two national championship teams and won the Broyles Award for nation’s top assistant. Elliott had returning quarterback Brennan Armstrong, who last season averaged 436.1 yards of total offense against Power 5 schools, the most of any player since 2009.
At the season’s halfway point, the Cavalier offense is a disaster. Ranked 120th in scoring offense at 17.8 points per game, 98th in total offense, 96th in rushing and 85th in passing, the Cavaliers haven’t been able to take advantage of a favorable schedule.
Last week against Louisville, the Cardinals were without starting quarterback Malik Cunningham who was in concussion protocol and lost 34-17, where the Cardinals held the Cavaliers to six total rushing yards. At 3-3, their margin for error for a bowl game has gotten smaller. They face a rejuvenated Georgia Tech this week who has won two in a row with interim coach Brent Key.
A loss this week to Georgia Tech, finding three wins with Miami, North Carolina, Pitt, and a trip to Virginia Tech isn’t likely.
